An update on parking at BFL: new signs have been placed in the parking lot that state that parking is only allowed for UT permit-holders. Please disregard these signs; you are allowed to park at BFL for SUTS!

It’s that time of the year, mark your calendars! We have four speakers scheduled for an exciting semester of talks, on the second Thursday of every month:

September 12: Megan O’Connell – Bees go grocery shopping

Special event! September 19: Larry Gilbert – The history and role of Brackenridge Field Laboratory at 52 years and counting

October 10: Caitlin Leslie – Animal sensory systems

November 14: Chase Rakowski – Plankton: the little alien-like creatures that might save us all

December 12: Claire Hemingway – Brainy bats: strategies for finding food in the jungle at night

Science Under the Stars is a free public outreach lecture series in Austin, Texas. Events are held outdoors at Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703. Arrive early for refreshments and fun activities for kids of all ages!

Note: We will post the precise schedules for each event in a separate, event-specific post. Follow this link for details on the September event. Follow this blog or our Facebook page to get event notifications.

On September 19 we will be hosting a special event on the history and importance of Brackenridge Field Lab. If you’ve wondered why and how UT has maintained a field lab in the middle of the city and what has been discovered there, come on out! Details here.

First time visitor? Please read our pet policy & field station rules here, and find parking info and directions here.

The history and role of Brackenridge Field Laboratory at 52 years and counting

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Have you wondered about how and why UT Austin keeps a field lab in the middle of the city? Come on out to this special, one-time event to learn about the history and discoveries made at Brackenridge Field Lab (BFL).

In the 1880’s, leaders of Austin attempted to industrialize with hydroelectric potential of the Colorado River. George Brackenridge provided capital, and land for a dam and a quarry that provided most the dam’s structure. The quarry, abandoned in 1893, and deep silt deposits that followed the dam’s collapse in 1900, were two disturbances that ultimately created a patch of urban nature dedicated as Brackenridge Field Laboratory in 1967. This backdrop explains how BFL, as a keystone resource that fostered UT’s premier graduate program in biology, could be created although never planned for this role by city or university leadership.

Science Under the Stars is a free public outreach lecture series in Austin, Texas. The talk will be held outdoors at Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703. Here’s the schedule for this month’s event:

7:00 pm: Snacks, kids activities, and displays of local animals and plants discovered at Brackenridge Field Laboratory will be available.

Bees go grocery shopping

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

How to Think, Dance, and Grocery Shop Like a Bee! We humans depend on bees for a lot more than we realize, but the bees need our help! Around the world bees are struggling to survive and now it is up to us to save them. One place to start is to understand which bees live around us (spoiler alert: it’s not just honey bees!), how they think, and what they like to eat. We’ll share all the interesting ways scientists gather this information, what we know so far, and most importantly, what you can do to help!

Science Under the Stars is a free public outreach lecture series in Austin, Texas. The talk will be held outdoors at Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703. Here’s the schedule for this month’s event:

7:00 pm: Snacks, kids activities, and displays of local animals and plants found at Brackenridge Field Laboratory will be available.

Science Under the Stars is a free public outreach lecture series in Austin, Texas. Events are held outdoors at Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703. Arrive early for refreshments and fun activities for kids of all ages!

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An update on parking at BFL: new signs have been placed in the parking lot that state that parking is only allowed for UT permit-holders. Please disregard these signs; you are allowed to park at BFL for SUTS!

It’s that time of the year, mark your calendars! We have four speakers scheduled for an exciting semester of talks, on the second Thursday of every month: September 12: Megan O’Connell – Bees go grocery shopping Special event! September 19: Larry Gilbert – The history and role of Brackenridge Field Laboratory at 52 years and counting […]